Hello all, Filing intentions of marriage was a way of alerting the public that an intended marriage was to take place. If the bride and groom lived in different towns they filed their intentions in both towns. That way, if for instance, one or the other had an impediment to the marriage anyone could come forward with information as to why the marriage should not take place. After filing intentions and no protest being made after 3 days (in Maine) the couple could then get their license to marry. Usually the license was good for one year and the couple could be married anywhere they wanted to (in the state of Maine) - not necessarily in either's filing town. Hope this helps to clarify the situation. Pat Patricia McCurdy Townsend http://members.tripod.com/~quoddybelle/index.html